


A Gem and a Half

by Azazel (Sir_Weston)



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Friendship, Loneliness, Obsession
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-09
Updated: 2017-06-02
Packaged: 2018-09-23 01:04:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9633179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sir_Weston/pseuds/Azazel
Summary: When all the Crystal Gems are poofed except for one, Steven has to protect Beach City with only a very grouchy Ruby for backup! With monsters swarming the beach, will the two of them be able to stand together? Or will Steven's fun loving attitude clash too much with Ruby's one-track mind? And when are the others going to reform and help them!?





	1. About as Well as You'd Expect

**Author's Note:**

> I just wanted to do a story with some of the less common relationships, like Steven and Ruby. At sometime I want to do one with Steven and Sapphire.

The monster roared, baring its fangs and looking around with its beady eyes. Where were those people that were attacking it? If they didn’t stop soon, it would start getting really annoyed!  
A sudden punch in the back of the head caused the beast to shout with anger. Garnet, gauntlets brandished, delivered another blow to the creature, smashing its head into the sand and causing it to poof. Bubbling the gem that fell out of it, she turned to see how her team mates were doing. She sighed when she saw that they weren’t doing as well.  
Monsters had swarmed the beach, wave after wave. Steven was trying his best to stop them, but he was being swarmed by the corrupted gems and was forced to summon his bubble. Pearl and Amethyst weren’t doing much better. Pearl’s spear was having no effect and one of the monsters had wrapped Amethyst in her own whip.  
Sighing, Garnet leaped forward to help them, immediately smashing the monster that had Amethyst tied up. Muttering her thanks, Amethyst picked up her whip and charged at another corrupted gem. Garnet stood to survey the situation and wondered if she should get Amethyst and Pearl to fuse with her. There just seemed to be no end to the monsters.  
Steven called out for help which snapped Garnet out of her thoughts. She ran over and beat away the beasts surrounding him.  
“Thanks, Garnet,” Steven sighed, “These things just won’t let up!”  
He was cut off when there was a sudden shout from Pearl. A seaweed-like monster had her wrapped up in one of its leaves, squeezing her hard, as if trying to break her in half. Steven cried out in fear and Garnet sprang forward.  
But she was too late. With one final squeeze, Pearl exploded in a cloud of smoke, her gem slipping out of the monster’s leaf and landing softly on the sand.  
“PEARL!” Steven cried out desperately. As Garnet beat the monster in to submission, Steven ran over and dove onto the sand, snatching up Pearl’s gemstone. Holding it close, he looked up at Garnet.  
“Steven, go help Amethyst!” she ordered him.  
Nodding, Steven ran over to Amethyst who was wrestling with a lobster-like creature. She had shape shifted into the Purple Puma to fight it and seemed to have the upper hand at the moment.  
“Yeah! Go Amethyst!” Steven cheered.  
Amethyst winked at him, then snapped off one of the monster’s claws. It roared in pain before Amethyst tackled it, causing it to poof.  
“And that’s how we get it done!” she bragged, changing back into her regular form. She looked over at Steven. “What happened to Pearl?” she asked.  
Steven immediately looked down hearted. “She got poofed by a seaweed monster!” he replied sadly, clutching the gem close to his chest. Amethyst sighed.  
“Great. And right in the middle of this huge battle when we need her the most!” she moaned, “What’s next?”  
She was answered when another monster reared up behind her. Steven couldn’t call out a warning fast enough before the creature stomped down on Amethyst, poofing her as well. Steven cried out in fear, quickly grabbing Amethyst’s gem before the creature could crush it.  
“Garnet! Help!” Steven called out.  
Garnet leaped away from the monster she was battling and ran over to Steven. When she saw him holding both Pearl and Amethyst’s gems, she sighed.  
“This is not good,” she muttered.  
“What are we gonna do?” Steven asked fearfully, “There are still a ton more monsters, and they’re not going to wait for Pearl and Amethyst to come back!”  
He was right. There were at least seven more corrupted gem monsters on the beach, swarming towards them, fangs and claws bared. And who knew how many more were waiting just beneath the ocean surface, ready to storm the beach? They were hopelessly out numbered.  
“Steven,” Garnet said seriously, “Take Pearl and Amethyst’s gems up to the house and try to stay somewhere safe. I’ll hold these guys off as best I- “  
Before she could finish, however, the monsters suddenly started to retreat into the water, almost as if on command. Steven and Garnet watched in astonishment as the creatures rushed back into the ocean. Just when Steven thought they could relax, a many horned monster charged through the two of them, impaling Garnet on one of its horns.  
“No! Garnet!” Steven cried out. Sand was starting to be thrown up, obscuring his view of what was happening. When everything settled, the horned beast had run back into the ocean, and Ruby was laying in the sand, groaning, with Sapphire’s gem resting next to her.  
“Uh-oh,” Steven muttered. He ran over to Ruby, checking to make sure she was okay. But before he could ask, Ruby cursed loudly.  
“Dang it!” she shouted, “Stupid monster! Sneaking up on us like that! Then running off before I can pay it back! Look what it did to Sapphire, Steven!”  
Steven flinched slightly at her harsh tone. “Are you all right?” he asked.  
“Who cares?” Ruby snarled, “This is a disaster! What if all those monsters come back? What if the others take too long to reform and we’re completely outmatched?” She suddenly snatched Pearl’s gem out Steven’s hands and started violently shaking it. “You’d better not take two weeks to reform this time!”  
“Ruby! Calm down!” Steven pleaded. He gently took Pearl’s gem back from her. He would’ve picked up Sapphire’s gem as well, but he was running out room in his arms, and he was afraid that Ruby would attack him if he tried to even touch her gem.  
Hissing to herself, Ruby scooped up Sapphire’s gem and held it close. Steven thought that she suddenly looked very sad. He carefully walked over to her and put an arm around her.  
“Come on,” he said, “Let’s go up to the house. At least there we know our friends will be safe until they reform.”  
Ruby sighed heavily. “Whatever,” she muttered. She said nothing as she followed Steven up to the beach house.  
Behind them, the ocean waves gently crashed up on shore.


	2. Burning Down the Town

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven attempts to keep Ruby distracted while the others recover in their gems. What could possibly go wrong?

Steven couldn’t help but shudder as Ruby stomped along behind him. He knew Ruby could be nice and pleasant, but he had a feeling this wasn’t going to be one of those times. The wooden stairs shook as Steven tried to walk up them, but with Ruby slamming her foot down every time she took a step, it was very hard for him to keep his balance. Especially since his arms were full with two gems.  
When they got to the top of the stairs, Steven gently put the two Gems down and dug into his pocket, trying to find the front door key. He was painfully aware of Ruby rapidly growing impatient behind him. Finally, he found it, right before, he was sure, Ruby was going to break the door down. He picked up Pearl and Amethyst’s gems and lead Ruby inside.  
“Here we are!” Steven exclaimed, spreading his arms wide to show the room, “My humble abode!”  
Ruby, till clutching Sapphire’s gem, looked completely unimpressed. “I’ve been in here before, you know,” she told Steven calmly, “As Garnet?”  
Steven blushed slightly. “Oh yeah, I forgot,” he muttered. He walked over to the table and placed Amethyst and Pearl on some pillows so they could be safe and cozy. Sighing, Ruby walked over and set Sapphire’s gem next to them. Steven looked at her.  
“So, how long do you think it’ll take them to reform?” he wondered.  
Ruby shrugged. “I don’t know,” she replied, “Amethyst never usually takes that long, but who knows with Pearl and Sapphire? They’re both gems who put a lot of time and thought into their regeneration.” She sighed again. “I once had to wait for an entire month for Sapphire to reform.”  
Steven’s eyes widened. “A month!?” he exclaimed, “We don’t have that kind of time! What if the monsters come back?”  
“Calm down.” Ruby hissed, “I said ‘once.’ She doesn’t always take a month. And Pearl doesn’t always take two weeks. Besides, they all know this is an emergency so I bet they’ll be back in no time.”  
“Ok,” Steven said, calming himself, “So what should we do in the mean time?”  
“Sit and wait for them to get back, of course,” Ruby replied in a voice as if it should’ve been obvious. She sat down on the couch, folded her arms and stared at the gems.  
Steven stared at her. She was joking, right? Was she really going to just sit there and watch until someone reformed? She didn’t want to do something fun? “Um, Ruby?”  
“What?” Ruby snapped a little at him.  
Steven flinched a little. “Er, I was going to go down to the boardwalk and get a donut,” he explained, “Do you want to come with me?”  
Ruby looked at him, then back at Sapphire’s gem. Then she sighed heavily. “Fine,” she muttered at last. Steven exclaimed with joy and grabbed Ruby’s arm, dragging her out of the house. Steven happily skipped down the beach holding Ruby’s hand as she stumbled along behind him.  
When they got to the Big Donut, Steven went in without hesitating. Ruby stood outside until Steven came back out and dragged her inside. Lars and Sadie were quietly talking to each other and looked up when Steven came in.  
“Oh hey, Steven!” Sadie greeted him, “Who’s your friend?”  
“This is Ruby,” Steven told Sadie, putting an arm around Ruby, “She’s one half of Garnet.”  
“Oh,” Sadie said, a little confused, “I don’t know what that means, but would you like a donut?”  
“Yeah!” Steven exclaimed. He pressed his face to the glass where the donuts were displayed. Sighing, Ruby walked over to the display cases and leaned against them, bored. It was a good two or three minutes before Steven decided what he wanted, and Lars was becoming impatient.  
“Just pick something already, Steven!” Lars snapped.  
“Ok, ok,” Steven replied hastily. “I’ll take a frosted donut with sprinkles.” He turned to Ruby, who had her eyes closed and arms folded. “Hey Ruby, do you want a donut?”  
She opened one eye and looked at him. “No,” she replied simply.  
Steven blinked at her, then turned back to Sadie. “Make that two!” he told her.  
After paying and receiving the goods, Steven led Ruby out of the store. She started to turn to the temple, but Steven stopped her.  
“Where are you going?” he asked.  
Ruby gave him a confused look. “Back to the temple,” she answered.  
“Don’t you want to explore the town with me for a little while?” Steven pleaded.  
“Not really.”  
Steven put on his best sad face and lowered his head. “Oh, ok,” he muttered, “I thought it would be fun to hang out with each other for a little while, considering I never really get to see you. But I get it.” He slowly started to shuffle off.  
Ruby let out a very long and annoyed sighed. “Steven, wait!” she called. Steven stopped. “I guess I can ‘hang out’ for a little while.”  
The words were barely out of her mouth before Steven grabbed her hand. “Great!” he exclaimed, racing off and dragging her with him, “Last one to Fun Land is a corrupted gem!”  
“Where?!” Ruby asked, desperately looking around.  
When they got to the Fun Land sign, Steven came to a sudden stop and Ruby collided with him, nearly knocking him to the ground. He spread his arms wide.  
“Ah! Fun Land!” he sighed, “A land full of fun, excitement, and law suits waiting to happen! Isn’t this place great, Ruby?”  
“If you say so,” Ruby muttered. She sighed, kicking at a small rock. “Every other time I’ve been fused with Sapphire as Garnet. It’s always better when she’s around. She’s the more fun loving of the two of us.”  
Steven stared at her. “Are you sure about that?” he asked.  
Ruby glared at him. “What’s that supposed to mean?” she growled.  
“Nothing!” he replied quickly, holding up his hands. He held up the bag of donuts. “How about we eat these donuts before going on some rides?”  
He walked over to a bench and sat down with Ruby following him. As Steven munched on a donut, he held the bag out to Ruby. “Want one?” he asked.  
“I told you I don’t want a donut, Steven,” she replied.  
Steven shrugged and finished off the first donut, then devoured the second. All the while Ruby sat next to him, constantly glancing back at the beach, as if keeping watch for monsters, or expecting one of the others to come running down the beach. When Steven was done, he stood up and brushed the crumbs off his clothes.  
“Okay!” he announced, “Let’s get on some rides!”  
Ruby sighed, but didn’t say anything as Steven led the way into Fun Land. He led Ruby first to the House of Mirrors. Steven stopped in front of every mirror, making funny poses, and silly faces while Ruby followed along at a leisurely pace, not even glancing at any of the mirrors. Then Steven brought her over to one of the roller coasters (one that didn’t have a height limit) and brought her on that. Steven had his arms in the air the whole time, while Ruby just looked bored. Eventually, they made their way to the “Scare House.”  
“Wow!” Steven exclaimed with stars in his eyes, “This must be new! I’ve never seen this before!”  
“You got that right, Steven,” Mr. Smiley, who had rushed over from somewhere else, explained, “We just set this baby up a week ago! I gotta warn ya though, it’s pretty scary!”  
Steven heard Ruby scoff behind him, but he ignored her. “Mind if we go in?” he asked.  
“Go right ahead,” Mr. Smiley replied.  
Steven smiled and grabbed Ruby’s arm, leading her inside. Immediately they were crammed into a dark hallway, and could see nothing but darkness. Steven carefully felt his way down this hall until they emerged into a darkly lit room. There was a stationary scene depicting a mad scientist working on his monster. Steven was about to make a comment to Ruby when a hideous clown puppet suddenly popped up in his face.  
Screaming in fear, Steven jumped behind Ruby, as the clown made stock laughter sounds. “Hyuck hyuck hyuck!” it laughed.  
Growling in annoyance, with the puppet getting right in her face, Ruby summoned her gauntlet and punched the clown’s head clean off. Still laughing, the robotic puppet fell to the ground, sparking a little. Steven gripped Ruby’s arm nervously.  
“Um, why did you do that?” he asked her. She looked back at him.  
“Didn’t you see it?” she wondered, “It was clearly attacking us!”  
“It’s supposed to do that!” Steven pointed out, “That’s the point! It’s supposed to be scary! That’s why it’s fun!”  
Ruby looked down at where the clown’s head had landed, then back at Steven. “If you say so,” she muttered.  
Steven took the lead again. They made their way through many different rooms, including a cemetery with animatronic zombies, a spooky castle scene with vampires, and even one of those disorienting vortex tunnels. By the time they got out, Ruby had broken at least three different props, and Steven was so scared that Ruby had to carry him out in her arms.  
Once they were a few paces away, Ruby set Steven on the ground. He shook for a few seconds before breaking out into a grin.  
“That was so much fun!” he shouted at Ruby, “Let’s go again!”  
Ruby opened her mouth to say something, when suddenly the ground started shaking. People started panicking and running around, freaking out. Steven and Ruby turned towards the beach and were horrified by what they saw.  
One of the huge fusion monsters was slowly crawling its way back onto the beach. It opened its mouth and let out a terrifying roar.


	3. Beating Monsters Senseless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven and Ruby have to face off against a monster on their own.  
> How well do you think that will go?

Steven gripped Ruby’s arm in horror as the monster let out another roar. There weren’t supposed to be more monsters yet! The others hadn’t reformed! He looked apprehensively at Ruby, who was glaring at the monster.  
“What are we going to do, Ruby?” he asked anxiously. Ruby looked at him.  
“What do you mean ‘what are we going to do?’” she retorted, “We’re going to fight that thing, that’s what we’re going to do!”  
The monster reared up on its back legs, roaring, and Steven shivered. He grabbed Ruby’s arm, leaning on her for comfort. Was she serious? They couldn’t fight that thing on their own, could they?  
“Are you sure?” Steven wondered, as the monster stomped closer, “Maybe we should get back up?”  
Ruby scoffed. “Oh, and who are we going to get? Peridot and Lapis? Please! We’ve got this Steven! I mean look at her!” She gestured to the monster.  
Steven had to admit, this monster was a bit smaller than the others. He could tell it was one of the forced fusion monsters as opposed to a corrupted gem. He didn’t know whether this made their task any easier or not, though.  
As Steven pondered this, Ruby summoned her gauntlet. Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, Steven summoned his shield for support. If he and Ruby were going down, they might as well go down together.  
The monster charged forward, as did Ruby, shouting a battle cry. Steven did his best to mimic her, but he wasn’t very intimidating. He cringed a little as the monster reared up to crush them, but Ruby punched it square in the stomach, making it stagger.  
“All right, Ruby!” Steven cried.  
But the celebration was short lived as the creature charged forward again. Steven quickly leapt forward with his shield to protect Ruby. As the monster brought its feet crashing down, Steven’s shield managed block most of the shock. But the shockwave still knocked both of them backwards.  
“What are we going to do?” Steven asked Ruby, “This thing is tough!”  
“It’s not that tough,” Ruby muttered. Brandishing her gauntlet again, Ruby charged, punching the monster right in its gem. The monster shuddered, then exploded in a puff of smoke. Its gem shards fell to the ground, and Steven quickly ran over and bubbled it.  
“Wow!” he exclaimed, “That was a close one!”  
Ruby shrugged and grinned. “Eh, it wasn’t that bad,” she said, “I probably could’ve done it with one arm tied behind my back, but I just wanted to be safe.”  
Steven tried not to roll his eyes. “Uh-huh,” he replied, disbelievingly, “Maybe we should go back to the house and see if someone’s reformed yet?”  
“Good idea,” Ruby agreed.  
The two of them eagerly ran back to the house, hoping that someone was back. They burst through the front door and were immediately disappointed when they saw the three gemstones laying exactly where they had left them.  
“Well, that’s a spirit breaker,” Steven muttered, “What are we supposed to do now?”  
Ruby let out a deep sigh and walked over to the couch and sat down. It was quite clear what she was planning to do. Steven frowned, but decided not to say anything. He went up the stairs to his bed and turned on the TV, hoping one of his favorite shows would get his mind off of things. He found his mind starting to drift, and before he knew it, he was asleep.  
When Steven opened his eyes again, it was dark outside, and also raining. Someone had put him under his covers properly and he was no longer facing the TV. Blinking in confusion, he saw a movement at the foot of his bed and quickly sat up, startled.  
“Calm down, Steven! It’s just me!” Ruby hissed at him. Steven sighed.  
“Sorry, Ruby,” he said, “I just momentarily forgot what had happened. Also, I didn’t expect you to be at the foot of my bed.”  
He saw through the darkness that Ruby was sitting on the floor, clutching Sapphire’s gem to her chest. Steven smiled to himself.  
“Were you the one who put me to bed?” he asked.  
“Yeah,” Ruby replied, “I almost didn’t want to move you. You looked so cute, all curled up and asleep.”  
Steven blushed as he laid back down. He stared up at the ceiling, but now he was wide awake and couldn’t fall back asleep. He rolled over and looked at Ruby through the darkness, still sitting at the foot of his bed.  
“Why do you think the others are taking so long to come back?” he asked Ruby.  
She let out a sigh. “I don’t know why Amethyst is taking so long,” she replied, “But Pearl and Sapphire always take their time. Even in a crisis.”  
Steven shifted a little under his blankets. “I wish those monsters weren’t roaming around,” he muttered, “It would make me feel a lot better. I’m afraid they’re all going to come back all at once.”  
Ruby didn’t reply, and it made Steven a little nervous. He squirmed anxiously, wondering if he should say something else. But what could he say? They really couldn’t do anything except wait for the others to return. A thought struck him.  
“What if the others don’t reform before all those monsters come back?” Steven asked nervously. He saw Ruby jerk a little.  
“I… don’t know,” she admitted, “Sapphire would know. She always knows what to do.” Ruby sighed. “I just can’t think straight when I’m not fused with her.”  
Steven felt his heart go out to her. He didn’t really know what it was like to be fused all the time, but with his fusions, scarce as they were, he knew he always felt more confident when he was with his partner. He wondered what it was like always being fused with someone you love. He wanted to ask, but he was afraid Ruby wouldn’t really want to talk about it. If she were Garnet maybe.  
“Let’s try to be optimistic,” Steven said after a moment’s silence, “Let’s just cross our fingers and hope the others return soon.”  
He heard Ruby mutter something, but he couldn’t tell what she said. Sighing, Steven laid back down and fell asleep. Gentle waves crashed on the shore outside.  
But below them, something was stirring.


	4. Dragging on the Ground

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven and Ruby decide to ask Lapis and Peridot help them fight the gem monsters, right before another one shows up!

“I’m telling you, Steven, we don’t need any help!” Ruby insisted, as the two of them walked towards the barn, “We can take those monsters easily, and I’m sure at least Amethyst will reform soon!”  
“Yeah, but, you saw how many there were,” Steven reasoned, “Even when all of us were fighting we couldn’t take them all down at once. And if they decide to attack in a group again, and it’s just the two of us, Beach City will be destroyed! We need Peridot and Lapis to help us.”  
Ruby grumbled to herself as Steven confidently approached the barn. He felt a little bad leaving Beach City completely unprotected, but hopefully this wouldn’t take long.  
As they got closer, Steven was relieved to see Lapis and Peridot, along with Pumpkin, sitting outside up in the truck, watching what Steven strongly guessed was Camp Pining Hearts (as that was the only show he ever saw them watch.)  
“Lapis! Peridot!” Steven called to them happily. They both looked up at the sound of his voice.  
“Steven!” they both greeted excitedly. Lapis picked up Pumpkin and flew down, while Peridot unceremoniously fell down the side. She quickly stood up and brushed herself off.  
“Steven, it’s nice to see you,” Peridot said, trying to ignore her ungraceful fall, “What are you doing here? And who’s this?”  
“What? You know who this is,” Steven replied, “It’s Ruby. You know, one half of Garnet?”  
“Oh, right!” Peridot remembered, “Where’s the other half of her?”  
Ruby grumbled something under her breath, but Steven ignored her. “That’s why we’re here” he told them, “You see, a bunch of monsters showed up on the beach, and poofed everyone except for Ruby and me. So, we need your help to defend Beach City until the others reform.” He paused a moment. “And maybe even after they reform.”  
“Of course, we’ll help you, Steven,” Lapis replied before Peridot could open her mouth. “We would do anything for you.”  
“Yeah, sure,” Peridot agreed, nonchalantly.  
“Great!” Steven exclaimed, “Come on! Let’s get back to Beach City before any of those monsters come back!” He grabbed Ruby’s hand and lead the group to the nearby warp pad, and warped them back to the temple.  
When they got back, Steven immediately ran outside to make sure Beach City was still safe. At the moment, everything seemed fine and Steven sighed with relief. He heard Ruby, Lapis, and Peridot come out behind him. There was a moment of silence.  
“Wow! Look at all the monsters everywhere!” Peridot exclaimed sarcastically, “I can see why you needed our help!”  
Ruby and Lapis gave her an annoyed look, and Lapis slapped her in the back of the head.  
“I know there’s nothing going on right now,” Steven said, ignoring Peridot’s snide tone, “But they’ve kind of been attacking on and off. That’s why we need your help.”  
“I still don’t think that,” Ruby muttered under her breath.  
Steven gave Ruby a sideways glare, but said nothing. He walked down the steps to the beach, deciding to keep a patrol of the area, just in case. He didn’t stop to see if the others were following him or not.  
About halfway across the beach, he heard footsteps and he was joined by Peridot and Pumpkin. Steven looked at them, then looked behind to see if Lapis and Ruby were following. He was a little surprised when they weren’t.  
“Why aren’t Lapis and Ruby coming?” he asked Peridot. She shrugged her shoulders in a dismissive sort of way.  
“Ruby said she had to watch over Sapphire, or something,” she replied, “And Lapis just said she was bored and walked inside.”  
Steven cast a nervous glance over his shoulder at the beach house. “Are you sure it’s ok to leave those two all alone?” he wondered.  
“They’ll be fine,” Peridot assured him, “I don’t really know about Ruby, but Lapis has the entire ocean at her fingertips! She can take care of herself.”  
“I guess,” Steven muttered. Peridot looked at him, concerned.  
“What’s wrong?” she asked.  
“I’m kind of worried about Ruby,” he answered, “I’ve been trying to get her mind off of Sapphire, and to loosen up a little. But she just can’t stop thinking back to Sapphire.”  
“I’m not surprised,” Peridot replied, “Fusions who stay together a lot tend to become obsessed with each other. Um, not that I would know.”  
“Uh-huh,” Steven said in a disbelieving tone.  
“Anyway, as soon as Sapphire reforms I’m sure Ruby will feel better and they’ll instantly re-fuse into Garnet,” Peridot continued, “Nothing to worry about.”  
It was a little more complicated than that, but Steven didn’t want to contradict her. He just wanted Ruby to have a little fun. What was wrong with that?  
Steven was startled out of his thoughts by Pumpkin suddenly barking ferociously at the ocean. Confused, Steven and Peridot looked at what it was barking at and saw a strange shadow bubbling to the surface. Before they could react, three huge monsters erupted from the water, roaring and screeching.  
“Gem monsters!” Steven exclaimed in fear. He quickly grabbed Peridot’s arm and scooped up Pumpkin before running back towards the beach house. The monster roared and stomped after them, shaking the ground.  
As Steven, Peridot, and Pumpkin raced towards the house, Steven saw Lapis and Ruby come out onto the porch in a panic.  
“What’s going on?” Lapis shouted.  
“It’s one of the gem monsters!” Steven exclaimed, “Come on! We have to stop it!”  
Ruby and Lapis quickly joined the other three on the beach and the group faced the monster. Glaring, the monster roared again and lumbered forward.  
Steven quickly summoned his shield, while Ruby summoned her gauntlet. Lapis cracked her knuckles, then summoned a giant hand of water. Using the water, she held the monster in place while the other three rushed in. Steven tossed his shield, hitting the monster in the face. It growled in anger and shook its head.  
“Peridot, help me get up on its head!” Ruby ordered.  
“You’re not the boss of me!” Peridot muttered.  
“Just do it!”  
Grumbling, Peridot looped her arms around Ruby’s waist and tossed her up towards the monster’s head. It was quite startled when she landed on it, clinging to its skin. It roared and tried to shake her off, but Lapis held it tight with the water.  
Ruby raised her fist and punched it square in the eye, causing it to roar in pain. It snapped its head back, making Ruby fly off. She cried out in fear as she flew towards the ocean, but Lapis quickly caught her with another water hand.  
“Great catch, Lapis!” Steven called.  
Lapis carefully let Ruby down before using the second had to squeeze the monster. It let out one final roar before exploding in a puff of smoke. Steven let out a sigh of relief before walking over and bubbling the gem that had fallen and sent it off.  
“Well, that’s one monster dealt with,” he said, “Who knows how many more.”  
“What’s the deal with these monsters, anyway?” Peridot asked, “Is someone sending them or something?”  
“I have no idea,” Steven replied, “We’ve just been fighting them and haven’t the chance to figure anything else.”  
“And it’s not like we can just wander off leaving Beach City unguarded,” Ruby pointed out, folding her arms.  
Lapis came over to them. “Well, the monsters are coming from the ocean, right?” she questioned, “Why don’t we see exactly where they’re coming from? Maybe we can stop whatever’s causing this.”  
“And how are we supposed to do that?” Peridot wondered.  
Lapis gave her an “are-you-serious?” look before raising a hand and causing the ocean to part right in front of them. Peridot blinked at her.  
“Oh yeah,” she said, “I totally forgot you could do that.”  
Sighing, Lapis lead the way as she, Steven, Peridot, Ruby, and Pumpkin walked into the ocean, hoping to find the source of the monsters.


End file.
